Updated the ole Blog Roll

Hey Everyone!

Just a quick note tonight to let you know that I have updated my blog roll. The last one didn't reflect what I have been reading lately so I changed a few things.

Click on any of the links to be fascinated by interesting things!

...and come back here tomorrow to read my post about the WOM conference taking place on Thursday that I will be doing something very WOM worthy at!

Another installment of "What is up with Saul"

If you are wondering why I haven't been posting much.....you are not alone. I got a call from my Mom today asking what is up!

SO to answer my Mom and fill you guys in I am here with another installment of "what is up with Saul"

It is not that I am running out of things to say or that I don't love you guys anymore because, I love all my readers so much I would make out with each one of you....so that brings me to what has been keeping me busy.

Well work mostly....but this is a good thing since I very happy and getting to do some pretty cool and different stuff.

What stuff you ask?

Well for one I am leaving in two weeks for a couple weeks on the road in an RV to spread the love of FreshBooks. I will be driving from Miami, FL to Austin, TX (with stops in West Palm Beach, Orlando, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Pensacola, New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Houston, San Antonio and Finally Austin.

Oh ya....I should clear up that I have been blogging...just not here so much.....I have however been posting a bunch of stuff over on the RoadBurn (RV trip) Microsite and want more then anything to post this video of an RV salesman curse for 4 straight minutes. It is only funny for a minute or two but I laughed the first few times I watched it.



The video may go up on Monday/Tuesday but go to Roadburn.Freshbooks.com now and read about trip and while you are there why not bookmark it so you can follow my adventure along the way....I have a feeling there may be more then one picture of me crying :)

Two other cool work things I have been working on combine two of my greatest loves. Podcasts and Shoes!

We are sponsoring a contest with Yahoo and PodCamp Toronto to take some folks to see a Hockey Game. If you are into Podcasting and are considering or are attending Podcamp Toronto you should check this contest out!

and finally

I am super Jazzed because I soon will be sporting custom FreshBooks Nike Air Force Ones! I will be premiering these kicks on the RoadTrip but you can see them first here!




Thanks for indulging me in my gushing about work projects and I promise I have some original content coming tonight or tomorrow!

-saul

2007 - What I've Learned

At the end of the year (or the beginning of a new one) people like to look back at the year that was and make lists. Lists about their favorite moment of the previous year, or best films etc.

Being the Smartest Man in the World, I pride myself on learning/mastering something every year. In 2005 I mastered lovemaking and in 2006 it was interpretive dance. 2007 was no different and since I am a fan of Esquire Magazine I decided to fill you in on my year by doing my very own installment of "What I've Learned". For those not familiar with "What I've Learned" it is a super cool feature where a Celebrity states in point form any wisdom they have picked up in their lifetime.

My list is going to be far from complete but will feature a few tidbits from my life in the last 12 months.

• -Never lobby to get a job for an old friend's husband because it can bite you in the ass
• -It isn't always good to be the smartest person in the room
• -After seeing films like Jesus Camp and The Kingdom I realized that there is no FUN in fundamentalism.
• -There is a bunch of money to be made by adding the FUN to fundamentalism
• -Moving sucks
• -Reality shows featuring Hulk Hogan and Scott Baio can't be interesting no matter how badly you are starved for something to watch.
• -Dick Clark is still alive
• -People will make a bunch of money in 2008 by saying they are a Web 2.0 expert
• -Some pretty fancy people read this blog
• -Most of the Nike's for sale on eBay are fakes and you end up wearing them as winter boots
• -Having two kids is 10 times the work as having one
• -I miss TV. Please settle the strike because I can't take any more bad reality shows
• -Being happy at work is pretty important and can effect your overall heath and well being
• -I am happy with my new job and predict big things for 2008
• -The immediate future of television is looking like more poker and tattoo shows
• -Water parks are great places to see bad boob tattoos and lots of inappropriate bathing suit choices
• -Seeing a woman with two black eyes is no indication of how well she listens
  

-saul

Web 2.0 chocolate!

I subscribe to a ton of content on the old interweb. So much infact that I was in NYC for a few days without my computer and came home to 1957 articles to read in my Google Reader....one of the articles that caught my eye was about TCHO Chocolate.

TCHO is a different kind of chocolate company since you order it online but have to pick it up in person!

The Reveries "Cool News of the Day" article explains :

Louis Rosetto, a co-founder of Wired, says his latest venture, Tcho, “is where Silicon Valley start-up meets San Francisco food culture,” reports Katie Hafner in The New York Times (12/10/07). Tcho puts Louis in the chocolate business, although his first item, a 50-gram bar, selling for $4, is only in “beta,” and is known as Version .10. You can order it online (here), but in a low-tech twist, you have to pick up your order at the factory, which is located on Pier 17 in San Francisco. Louis notes that it is the only chocolate factory in San Francisco.

That’s because other chocolate makers don’t actually make their chocolate. “A lot of people think companies like See’s and Godiva are chocolate makers, but they’re not,” says Louis. “They’re confectioners who take someone else’s chocolate and do something with it.” Louis and his business partner, Timothy Childs, have instead invested in building a real chocolate factory, using equipment acquired from a factory that had been located “in an old castle in Wernigerode, in the former East Germany.”


I love to see people putting new ideas into conventional business plans. If I find myself in the bay area (and I think I will be in the springtime) I will definitely check this out!

-saul

The movie going "experience" is coming to a theatre near you!

I am a few days late on this announcement but surprisingly I didn't see much pickup on it so I am going to blog about this now as if it was two days ago.......so here goes.

Any regular reader of this bloggie blog know that I love movies. I used to think I would only be happy working for a fancy pants movie studio (even though I am very happy doing what I am doing now)and because of my passion for this stuff I follow the industry news reasonably closely.

Well today (remember I said we are pretending) I came across an announcement that Cineplex Entertainment (the largest movie theater chain in Canada) is moving forward to revolutionize the movie going experience .

According to their press release "Cineplex will unveil some impressive out-of-home entertainment extras. The new amenities and services at the 12-screen, 45,000-square-foot movie complex include bowling, billiards, babysitting and VIP auditoriums.

The chain's aim is nothing short of "revolutionizing the entertainment landscape in Canada," says Cineplex president/CEO Ellis Jacob. "This is a true entertainment complex like no other, with something for guests of all ages to enjoy. It is the next generation in theater entertainment, with many new amenities and services all under one roof."

Taking this on face value I think this is a cool idea and it is something I suggested a while back but I wonder if this will work the way they are counting on it to.

I say this because as someone who loves movies I actually have absolutely no complaints about the movie going experience. If I had my way I would only see films in the theater and only watch films at home that are not available any where else.......so why am I skeptical about this announcement?

Because going to the movies is about spending a lot of money. This is not just a perception but a reality. Concessions are out of hand and a single ticket is actually less then getting a hot dog and a large drink. In my humble opinion I think movie chains would benefit a great deal from making films and concessions more reasonable instead of offering us more ridiculously overpriced forms of food and entertainment.

So you are probably asking yourself how I know that these new options will be over priced and the answer is..............I don't! But my perception (and this is their brand because all good marketers know that your company brand isn't what you think it is but rather what others think it is) is that all stuff by this chain is over priced and expensive.

Anyway here is the full list of all the new stuff going into the theater

• The Backlot family entertainment centre has six lanes of bowling, a licensed lounge with appetizer menu offerings, two party rooms and a games room with the latest interactive video games and billiards;

• VIP Experience (for ages 19 and up only) with three auditoriums featuring reserved seating, in-seat service and a licensed lounge with appetizer menu offerings, private box office, concession stand and premium seats;

• Cineplex Kids Club child-minding services staffed by the YMCA of Oakville for parents and caregivers while they watch movies;

• Canada's largest digital cinema system with nine cutting-edge projectors delivering razor-sharp images;

• FastLane Service allowing guests to order food and beverages at an automated kiosk and then proceed to the FastLane counter to pick them up;

• XTRAS - a retail store offering DVDs, CDs, books, magazines and movie collectibles including posters, action figures and T-shirts. (again I need to pat myself on the back because I thought of this along time ago)

.....and even with all my ranting I will probably go check it out at least once......cause deep down in side I am a bit of a sucker who loves movies.

-saul

If you love freedom...you should read this interview

I mentioned in my last (mostly incoherent) post about the fact that I have little memory of my time in High School....while that is 100% true I do remember a few things and one those "things" is my school girl crush on Chris Elliot.

Just so we are clear...I didn't have a crush on the man but rather his work.

His appearances on early episodes of Letterman were wacky and delicious at the same time (like this one)



I am glad to see he is getting some recognition again with a couple of best selling books and I really enjoyed this recent interview with him

Read it with me....wont you?

....and if you are too tired to read (people tell reading this blog is sometimes a workout) then just enjoy another easy to digest video



-saul

Elvis Costello, The Clash and Duran Duran play private concerts just for you!

I love live music....it is one of my favorite things. I used to go to a slew of concerts and purchase every live bootleg I could find (I miss cdnow so much)so I got all tingly when I got an email today from my friend Josh Fialkov introducing me to the "Concert Vault"

The full name of the place is Wolfgangs Vault and it features free streams of full concerts of some pretty amazing shows. The quality is great and I am sure this will keep me busy for a few days!

Now if you excuse me I am going back to listening to a 1984 Duran Duran concert from Madison Square Garden!

-saul

a quick Stuff I Like - November Edition

I went on a little shopping spree this past week as I got paid for my first consulting project and figured this would be a good time to stock up on some supplies.

So what exactly did I buy on my little trip?

Books, Books and more Books!

Here is the list!

Brandjam: Humanizing Brands Through Emotional Design. By Marc Gobe

The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use News Releases, Blogs, Podcasting, Viral Marketing and Online Media to Reach Buyers Directly by David Meerman Scott

Join the Conversation: How to Engage Marketing-Weary Consumers with the Power of Community, Dialogue, and Partnership (Hardcover)by Joseph Jaffe

Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey A. Moore

How to catch the Big Idea: The Strategies of the Top-Creatives by Ralf Langwost

I will dive into these titles as soon as I finish up The Art of Innovation by Tom Kelley.

In other media I got a chance to see Gone Baby Gone (project research!) and give it my two thumbs up....way up. Say what you want about Ben Affleck (and I happen to like him) he has made a great film here and Casey Affleck is incredible in the lead!

-saul

p.s. I have some real news to report later today so make sure you come back!

Forget Must See TV. Now it is Must Green TV!

Two things I don't post a whole lot about about are:

- TV Show Plots
and
-The Environment

The reasons are simple. Even though I watch more then TV then most folks I rarely watch them on the broadcast day (thanks to Tivo/PVR) so I would just feel silly talking about shows that are a few weeks old..........and I choose not to talk too much about the environment (even though I have in the past) because....well....everyone else is and I don't think I have anything interesting to add to the conversation.

That is until today....and I am combining/complaining about both!

This week NBC launched a GREEN IS UNIVERSAL campaign where for a whole week NBC shows worked a "green" message into every one of their prime time shows and interstitials.

This may have seemed like a great idea in a board room but in execution it left me feeling as if I was being pandered to. Shows like 30 Rock, My Name is Earl, ER, The Office, Life, Chuck, Bionic Woman all have smart writing staffs and I watch and enjoy every one of these shows (yes...even Bionic Woman...and geez I watch a lot of NBC shows) but the Green Messaging in these episodes seemed forced (by the studio and the dialog) because......and I am making a HUGE assumption here.....I imagine this green decision came after the shows where plotted out or even written.

I feel this way since in Bionic Woman (and I am going by memory here) the good guys looked for the bad guys at an environmental fund raiser but instead of just saying in passing that "this is a environmental fund raiser" they instead worked in a full soliloquy about how this fund raiser was helping save this and that they are happy to be looking for the bad guy here. ER was almost as bad because they had a character complain that his carbon footprint increased due to a prank they pulled on him. 30 Rock was funny because they pretty much admitted they were doing this because they had to.

Anyway my point here is this "Don't mess with my TV" or better stated....this seemed crass and commercial. Two things that saving the environment are not supposed to be about. These episodes will seem strange out of context and if you are going to do a promotional tie in like this you don't want it to harm your product in the process.

NBC dropped the ball here and could've achieved the same results they set for their Green is Universal week by not playing with their shows and just had the stars/characters do the PSA's and interstitial in between the episodes. This could have saved them from getting characters to comment on how they are giving up Styrofoam cups only to have them go back to their old ways in future episodes.

Oh Ya....and don't mess with my TV

saul

There is a business lesson to be learned from Dog the Bounty Hunter

There are whole bunch of lessons to be learned from the Dog The Bounty Hunter scandal going on right now.

The obvious one is:

If you ever find yourself on Larry King and you are looking for acceptance for your tearful apology you should take a few minutes and do up your shirt!

The not so obvious lesson is actually an important business lesson:

If you are trying to build a community of people who will love your brand or products and you decide to have a leader of the community....that leader has to be authentic and credible to that specific community. This means if you are after movie lovers, he/she better be a movie lover....food/food etc et.

What I am getting at is not that "The Dog" (and yes I feel silly for typing that) made racist comments and showed that his private persona may not match his public one but rather the words he chose for his explanation of his rant and apology.

As stated in the Herald Tribune (and this is the DOG speaking now) "I thought that I was cool enough in the black world to be able to use that word as a brother to a brother," he said. "I'm not. I didn't know really know until three or four days ago what that meant to black people."

When you are rallying the troops around a product or service you better get someone who is "cool enough" in that community or people will see through it and not get swept up in the experience as they would if the person chosen to direct the community is a real match with the demo.....or you or someone may just end up on CNN with your shirt open crying about how your company/empire has fallen apart.

saul

...an arts and crafts project for you to try

Hi Everyone,

Been tied up with work stuff (something I will be blogging about soon....perhaps later today) so I have not been posting as much as I usually do.

I am busier then ever today so instead of posting about something that isn't going to move you and captivate your imagination (I was going to write about a rumor that DC Comics is going to kill Bruce Wayne and make Robin become Batman) I have decided to wait till tomorrow to fascinate you with my brain power!

BUT WAIT

Just because I have nothing interesting to write about today doesn't mean I am not leaving you with homework.......as you may know I have an unnatural connection with custom sneakers....so much so that I considered starting a small business designing custom AF1's. People always ask me to make them shoes and/or how I do it so I am going to spill the beans.

Here is a step by step guide how to create some cool kicks!

Have fun!

saul

I need your url!

Hi Y'All,

Sorry I have been absent the last few days but I have had some stuff going on......like strep throat. I don't think I mentioned this but I had bronchitis two weeks ago and as soon as I finished my medicine I get something else. I hate to get conspiratorial but this seems like how your TV or Fridge always breaks down when the warrenty is up (pretty sure it is called planned obsolescence)

Anyway since I got sick again so quickly I have decided to have a bubble installed in my house like in that John Travolta movie I realize it will be a annoying at first but I am looking forward to the golden brown tan I will get in the summer!

So by tomorrow I will be back at full strength (blogging wise) and will be posting up a couple posts i have been rolling around in my head but in the meantime I would love you guys to drop me a comment on some websites you like. I want to freshen up my blog role and figured this is a good way to do it.

Don't be shy about adding your own site (if yo have one) to the list and I will craft a brand new "Sites I Likes" section next week!

Now if you will excuse me I am off to a pharmaceutically aided sleep!

saul

An interesting thing I saw in a book store the other day.....

As I type this, sitting in the Smartest Man in the World Headquarters, I am surrounded by more then 2000 books (and I have read all except 4 of them). I love to read and book stores give me a weird thrill that for me can only be duplicated by dvd stores....but I digress. I was in a major Canadian book chain the other day and overheard an interesting argument.

At the check out area of this store there was an agitated guy raising his voice demanding a discount on his book since the price of the book was $24.99 us$ or $34.99 can$. His argument was that since the value of the Canadian dollar is at par (or worth a few pennies more then the US buck) then he should be able to purchase the book at the US price or that they should be the same price.

I am not sure if he spoke to the store manager but whoever he did speak to explained that there was nothing he could do and the customer stormed out.....without purchasing anything and at the same time he freaked out some other customers.

This was a HUGE missed opportunity.

Now I am not going to pretend to understand if this manager has the authority to discount anything and she probably handled things exactly as she should have. She was polite and respectful she just didn't give in to the demand.

The opportunity that is being ignored is a way to inject some personality into this brand by being a little self effacing and saying "Hey we noticed this disparity and we are going to do something about it". Have a company wide sale or promotion would boost the good feeling of the company as well showing a little humility by recognizing that there is something wrong.

(This post/idea can be co-opted to just about any store or business so when you think about this later don't get caught up on this just being about book stores.)

Companies need personality because people connect to people. People like when someone can say "we were wrong" and actually do something about it so by following my little idea is a great example of doing both..........and I would bet $20 that the first to do this would steal a whole wack of market share.

Now some of you are probably saying to yourself "This guy is foshizzle...don't he know that the cost of them things are determined by when they is bought and the Canuck buck has only been powerful for a short time" (That is how I imagine people who disagree with me sound) and yes I agree that there would probably be some money being left on the table but if you get 20% more business going into the holiday shopping season I am pretty sure you would do OK and continue with new business into the new year.

Trust me....I am The Smartest Man in the World!

-saul

He kept telling me he would be in a movie someday....

I have met "Superman" a few times. Interesting guy to chat with and he told me a few years ago when I met him at a comic book convention that he would be in a movie one day......and it looks like that day is here.



-saul

Another blogger called me a S.O.B.........

and I am grateful for it!

Liz Strauss has awarded this site an SOB award (Successful and Outstanding Bloggers).

I wasn't expecting to win so I didn't prepare a speech but I would like to thank that sexy female Ronald McDonald in the Japanese McDonald's commercials.

She gives me the hope that all things are possible.

-saul

A solution to the Time Shifting killing advertising problem....

I have been seeing more and more articles about Timeshifting TV Shows and how it is hurting the effectiveness of the traditional 30 second TV Commercial. I am probably in the minority but I like to watch commercials. Sure they are not all great but some are and I want to see those. I don't watch them to be "sold to" but rather to enjoy the creative energy that went into them....So anyway since I watch a lot of TV I tend to want to see shows that are on at the same time.

Yes I am "the" person Time Shifting was invented for.

I load up my PVR with all the shows I want to watch and if there are conflicting shows I just record them from other places at different times. This sometimes plays tricks on my mind when I don't recognize any of the local TV News people doing their interstitial's and such.

(anyone notice I am still not getting to my point? OK here goes)

The main argument against advertising and time shifting is that you are recording shows from another area therefor not seeing local ads.

This could easily be corrected (OK I have no idea if this is easy to do but....) by adopting the same model that the Internet uses by matching ads to isp's. When I log onto LinkedIn I see ads for my local phone company even thought it is a US based service and likewise when I go to NBC.com to watch a mistakenly deleted from my PVR episode of HEROES their site tells me I can't view the show because of my geographic location.

Since most people using time shifting are on a digital based televisions delivery system couldn't appropriate ads be substituted in for your location no matter where you watched the show? I know when I call my Cable company they can tell me over the phone if my individual TV is on and if there is a problem so why can't they "geo place" (a word I made up....I think) content to just me based on my location. Sure this could lead to demo based ads but lets start with this.

Sure there would have to be new compensation models for the local stations but at least then cable companies and networks could guarantee their advertisers that their commercials will at least get seen with the shows they paid to advertise with and could probably charge more then that are currently.

Now all you need to do is get PVR / Tivo users to watch the commercials!

saul

A good old fashioned amazing idea!

I love ideas!

The bigger/bolder an idea is makes it more attractive to me and I consider myself an idea guy.

Perhaps even “The Greatest Idea Guy Ever” (since I call myself The Smartest Man in the World is it really a stretch to say I am the greatest Idea person ever?).

I see ideas and opportunities everywhere and like Spider-Man's powers this is both a gift and a curse....in fact I have mentioned a few times on this blog that I am happy to consult people and give out free ideas because they come to me so quick and clean.

Just last week I got an email taking me up on my challenge and all it said was that he was looking for a character to attach to a mortgage company idea. I responded (in minutes) with a character based on a house who loves the people inside of him, his family, and wants to see them pay off their mortgage quicker so they can own him and not the bank! I have no idea if this will get used but if you see it around soon just remember where it came from :)

I was going through some old computer files yesterday and came across a folder of ideas I put together about 5 years ago to help bring the Comic Book Industry into the mainstream spotlight and deliver new fans from non traditional sources...or to recapture the imagination of people who grew up with comics but are now professionals and think it is just "kids stuff". The folder had about 20 or so ideas and while for the most part they still hold up and could be implemented today with great success there was one that I love so much I am determined to do this somehow (even for another industry but it just “works” so perfectly for Comics) for someone!

Before I post this I should let you know that this idea is an awareness idea with ROI but this idea is not about generating money per se but deliver new readers and instill new passion in folks who over time will become loyal customers.....also I considered editing it and giving it a modern day polish but chose to present you the idea exactly as I had conceived it half a decade ago. Looking at it now with fresh eyes I see ways to make even better and develop it into a yearly franchise that would pay for itself!

ONE FINAL THING* You will see the name DC COMICS all over this idea. Please remember this is just a concept and DC COMICS is a great example of who could pull this off but this can be executed with Marvel Comics or even a large group of Independent Comic Publishers on a smaller scale.

OK enough build up........here it is..........and please let me know what you think!

Idea #1 – Awareness through Art


The following idea is not intended to make money per se (but is designed not to lose money either). This idea is more of a cultural event designed to stimulate interest in the characters and open up comics to people who would never consider entering a comic book shop.


The idea is to create art exhibits in local art galleries featuring local artists painting DC COMICS iconic art.


To make this a unique experience it needs to follow the following structure.


The artists have to be local and have to be relatively unknown (possibly never having a gallery show before) Artists will need to be screened well but can be found at local art schools or art shop recommendations/open “casting” call. By avoiding "famous" artists there will not be an issue of releasing copyright to the art. It is important for DC to have the rights as you will see at the end.


The gallery must be a "hot" gallery that will bring people in and help promote the event. I called a few places for research purposes (asking general questions and not claiming to work for DC etc) and how the Gallery system works is that they do not charge for the space but take a small percentage of the sale of the art. This works fine as the art will be for sale. This also creates a "benefit" to the artist to participate.


I see the show running from Thursday to Sunday with Thursday open for schools to visit. The rest of the weekend will be open to the public with a very small entrance fee (maybe $1.00 to 2.00) and this fee gets donated to a local literacy foundation. Each person will receive a DC Comics "goody" bag as they leave with books and information on ordering more books.


Saturday night of the showing will be a (insert appropriate price here….maybe $100 per ticket) charitable viewing with socialites and celebrities all invited. There are many celebrities interested in comics, like Sean Combs, Samuel L. Jackson and Shaq O'Neal . Saturday night should be covered by local and entertainment media giving even more exposure to DC Comics as well as the artists participating.

One must is that all the art and the Saturday Night party must be professionally photographed but I will get to more on that in a minute.

Sunday returns to the same format as Friday and Saturday (daytime) with the small entrance fee.

These events need to have a local feel to them and the "Celebrities" invited to the Saturday night should be local as well.

Here is why this works and is "win/win" for all parties concerned.

-The artists get major exposure for their work with the only stipulation that they draw DC Iconic Characters doing whatever they want (just no nudity or excessive violence)
-The Appeal to the artist would be they get to work to their strength. If they work in a POP ART style then their piece will be POP ART. If they work in Sculpture then their piece will be a statue etc.
-The artist have an opportunity to sell their work with the understanding that will donate a small percentage (maybe 3-5%) to the local literacy charity chosen for this even.
-The Gallery gets a high profile show that will bring a lot of people to the gallery to possibly buy works of art.
-The Charity receives a donation plus exposure.
-The whole event will cost very little (just the cost to promote it) and even that cost can be underwritten by a corporate sponsor. I.e.: Coke, Playstation etc or a DC Comics Parent company movie tie in.
-DC COMICS gets good press for the event and the donations as well as needed exposure for comics and extends the perception of them as a leader in the industry and community.
-DC COMICS hands out a goody bag to people therefore actually getting product into people’s hands.
-The first event would be held in New York with additional events held every 4-5 months in other cities (Chicago, Los Angeles, San Diego, Toronto) and can be planned to co-inside with existing comic conventions.
-Since DC COMICS will own the copyright on the art (and has photographed and documented the whole event) it can then publish a coffee table book and market it to comic fans as well art lovers. This book would also have a built in audience for anyone who attended and this is how DC Comics makes money on this idea.


Final Thoughts on Idea #1


I understand this is not the type of thing DC Comics does or gets involved with but that is the exact reason to do it. I did an informal market survey and concluded that the type of people that look down on comics did find this idea intriguing. As with all ideas and plans targeting to the mainstream and not just the direct market you need to remember who buys your books and not alienate them. This would open new worlds to all people attending and be welcoming to all parties.

I know I am repeating myself but I love this idea! Sure it lacks the boldness of my current thinking but this is a good old fashioned nugget of gold!

I gotta do this someday.

Happy Wednesday

-saul

Stuff I Like - The end of summer edition!

Hi Everyone!

I haven't done one of these "Hey look at me and what I like" posts in a while and I know deep down inside you really want to know what I am into right now so consider this a pubic service announcement of sorts for you to run out and be like me (ya know you want to) so with out further pause I bring you "Stuff I Like - The end of summer edition)....Ok one more pause, because I want to say that this list is far from definitive...I am going off the top of my head so if you want to add anything please feel free to add them in the comments!

Favorite Podcasts of the past little while:

This American Life Two eps this past month really moved me (in very different ways).

The first was called Unconventional Love "Stories of unconditional love between parents and children, and how hard love can be sometimes in daily practice." The first story was about a couple who adopt a child from Romania and the child's unwillingness to bond with his new parents. Being the parent of two adopted children this really spoke to me and made me almost cry.

The second was called Meet the Pros "The story of one man's journey from obscurity to international professional celebrity—aided only by his own hard work, a sneaker commercial, and mad handles." This story didn't touch me the way the first one did but I did think it was cool since it was a profile of "TRIKZ Da Silva" a regular guy who landed a spot in a Nike Basketball commercial that made him an overnight international celebrity.

You can check out the commercial(s) here

and the longer version featuring a bunch of NBA and WBA stars as well


One other Podcast that really stuck out this past few weeks was one by C.C. Chapman (Managing the Grey) about his recent decision to leave his job and work freelance. It also talked a lot about personal happiness and calculated risks. This podcast really got me thinking about stuff and making some plans....nothing to announce right now but stay tuned!

Favorite Books:

I kind of got out of the habit of reading this past month as my family moved into a new house and all my books are still waiting to be unpacked (before the move I was reading a book every 2-3 days on my commute) so I didn't a huge selection to draw from but two books I did read and really dug were Punk Marketing by Richard Laermer and Mark Simmons and Mavericks at Work: Why the Most Original Minds in Business Win by William C. Taylor and Polly G. Labarre Both books were great reads and worth your time!

Favorite Movies:

Really didn't see much this past little bit except the Bill Lee documentary Spaceman: A Baseball Odyssey

and Finally (since I am running late for something) Favorite Music:

Elvis Costello : My Aim is True (Deluxe Edition) I know this is probably the 15th reissue of this album (as much as I love Elvis Costello I admit he has to be the most re-issued artist of all time) but this is an awesome version with an entire second disc featuring a live concert!

Black Francis : Bluefinger You can call him Frank Black or Black Francis but the former and current front man for the Pixies has a new album out and while it sounds a lot like the Frank Black solo stuff (and I love that)I have read that he is using the Black Francis persona because these were supposed to be tracks used for a Pixies cd.

Ok...that is all I got for now. Check back later as I am working on a big post about a major retailer that wont take my money. I should have it up tonight!

-saul

In Search of Steve Ditko (the other guy who created Spider-Man)

A big thank you to Heidi MacDonald from the Beat for originally posting this incredible YouTube Video on the BBC Documentary "In Search of Steve Ditko".

For those no in the "know", Steve Ditko is the co-creator of Spider-Man and until recently wasn't given public credit for his creation. This is an interesting doc for comic book fans since Steve Ditko is a bit of an enigma. He walked away from the book after 40 issues and refuses to speak about it......check that.....he refuses to talk to anyone!

Check out the video (about 9 mins long) and if you find it interesting check out the rest and enjoy!



-saul

Come hang with me in the AD LOUNGE!

Good Evening (or morning/afternoon) fine readers of this blog,

I usually have no plans to do anything but the rest of this month and the next are filling up with a bunch of cool events and stuff. I won't bore you with all of them but one event I am really looking forward to is the return of THE AD LOUNGE (I used caps to emphasize how excited I am). The Ad Lounge is a cool event for the Advertising/Marketing community in Toronto to just chillax and hang out. Sure there will be networking and stuff but I think it will have a more social slant to it...and that is always a nice once and a while.

Here are some details for the event (taken from an article in Marketing Magazine)

Ad Lounge to return this fall
Marketing Magazine - (Sept 2007)

Ad Lounge, a volunteer-driven networking organization for marketers, ad agency employees, designers and technical professionals in Toronto, returns this fall after a two-year hiatus. Ad Lounge initially delivered electronic newsletters and staged several networking events under the banner of "Night Out" for industry professionals between 2001 and 2004.

Founder Trina Boos says the initiative was disbanded in 2005 due to the increasing demands it placed on her time. However, she says Ad Lounge's popularity within the industry encouraged her to bring it back, though on a smaller scale than before. "The events are not as regular. We're doing them once every three months, whereas I was trying to do them once a month," she says. "I was also doing our newsletter, Talk, every time we had an event, and that was a 14-page newsletter. I've decided to still do that, but keep it to a couple of pages. "I'm bringing it back because I love it, and Toronto's industry doesn't really have anything for the young marketing, advertising and design folks to meet in a social setting after work."

Boos has already launched Adlounge.ca, a site that will inform industry professionals about events and also feature user-generated content from visitors, and last week she started an Ad Lounge Facebook group.

The first Ad Lounge event in three years will take place Oct. 2. It will be hosted by Elliott Smith, creative director at Organic Inc., and will feature a screening of the 2007 London International ad reel.

Boos says she is on the lookout for newsletter contributors and additional ideas for Ad Lounge's events and online presence.

If you come make sure you say Hi to me and anyone who tells me I am handsome will get a drink bought for them!

See you there!

-saul